Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 030601010 | 03/01/2003 | 10001282 | Engine oil or coolant leak. *tt | 04/25/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||||
| 010602012 | 12/01/2001 | 628890 | Some owners may comment on leakage of a few drops of coolant after parking their vehicle. *tt | 03/21/2002 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 03-06-01-010 | 04/01/2008 | 030601010C | 10004768 | Engine oil or coolant leak. *tt gm reminder. *tt install new lower intake manifold gasket. updated 7/18/08 *pe | 01/06/2004 |
| 052203 | 05/22/2003 | 10003658 | Complaints of intermittent vehicle shutting off while driving with no multiple codes set. the vehicle would immediately restart. the actual cause of this condition was that over bumps the mass and weight of the customer's key ring forces | 10/27/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 020601014 | 04/01/2002 | 634708 | Subject regarding revised lower intake manifold installation. *tt | 10/07/2002 | |
| 020604009 | 03/01/2002 | 629502 | Subject regarding hesitation or stumble on throttle application after cold start (reprogram pcm). *jg | 04/02/2002 | |
| 151101 | 11/15/2001 | 628134 | Onwers may comment on a light hesitation or stumble after a cold start at temperatures below approximately 50 degreees fahrenheit or ten degrees c. *tt | 03/05/2002 | |
| 990604005A | 04/01/2001 | 990604005 | 619360 | Some owners may comment on driveability symptons of long or hard starts, chuggle, rough idle and light or intermittent misfire due to clogged fuel injectors. *tt | 05/24/2001 |
| 130301 | 03/13/2001 | 619231 | Experiencing a no crank no start, crank no start, no start or a start doesn't run that may be accompanied by a theft system light and / or a service engine soon light. *tt | 05/19/2001 | |
| 990604005 | 02/01/1999 | 776304A | 604343 | Some owners may experience a driveability symptom of long or hard starts, chuggle, rough idle and light or intermittent misfire. *tt | 04/26/1999 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 02/01/2010 | 1 | ||
| 1999 pontiac grand prix. consumer states vehicle fire from under hood *tgw the consumer was able to extinguish the flames. *jb | |||
| 02/11/2011 | 100000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 1999 pontiac grand am. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 to 45 mph the vehicle would suddenly stall. after the stall he noticed that the abs light would illuminate on the instrumental panel. the vehicle was able to restart after waiting for a while. the vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer nor has it been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000. tb | |||
| 08/09/2007 | 100000 | 2 | 07/09/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1999 pontiac grand am. while driving 35 mph, the vehicle completely shut off. the contact pulled over and the vehicle was able to immediately be restarted. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, but they could not correct the failure. the current mileage was approximately 110,000 and failure mileage was 100,000. updated 03-07-08 *bf the consumer stated various lights illuminate on the instrument panel such as: oil pressure light, air bag, engine light abs. the security passlock system was inoperative. the hazard and turn signal lights did not work properly. there was hesitation upon acceleration. the traction conrol was inoperative | |||
| 07/14/2006 | 97863 | 2 | 08/21/2002 |
| Intake manifold gasket on pontiac grand am. *jb | |||
| 01/09/2006 | 59009 | 1 | 07/01/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds the engine overheated. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop for inspection. the mechanic determined the engine's high performance additive caused corrosion to the aluminum cylinder head. the cylinder head was replaced which corrected the problem. updated 3/28/2006 - the water pump failed. the battery and brakes failed. the coolant light illuminated. the dealer determined that the antifreeze had congealed and needed to be flushed and replaced. the driver side headlight went out. the driver side window regulator broke. *nm | |||
| 06/01/2003 | 2 | 02/02/2003 | |
| I purchased my 1999 pontiac grand am gt in feb. 2003 with 55000 miles on it. in june 2004 without any kind of warning it dumped every ounce of coolant 2 blocks from my house. i had to have it towed to the dealer where they diagnosed that the manifold gasket had blown and my battery was no good. there had not been one problem with the battery until the gasket blew. i had the car repaired (500.00 dollars). then this past april 2005 i had to have the water pump replaced. two days ago i notice a puddle of coolant under the car, i investigate it's origin and there is a stream of coolant running along the seam of the manifold gasket! i haven't even put 10,000 miles on this car since it blew the last manifold gasket. gm knows there is a problem here, show some integrity and take care of these problems! *jb | |||
| 10/25/2005 | 65000 | 1 | 02/01/2001 |
| My 99 pontiac grand am is slowly leaking anti-freeze, the mechanic i went to knew exactly where to look, the intake manifold. he said they are getting one or two each week and did not know why they have not recalled the vehicle. i figure this would be an environmental concern and i have never heard of any vehicles leaking a coolant after only 60,000 miles. *jb | |||
| 08/22/2005 | 75000 | 30 | 06/25/1999 |
| When driving steadily over 50 mph for a period of 15 minutes or more the engine revs at 2000 rpm or higher. when going into neutral or park it reaches 3000 rpm. this is an intermittent problem. in the beginning it would stop once i turned the engine off and restarted it. now i must sit and wait for the engine to cool in order for it to stop happening. i have not yet repaired this because i have not been able to recreate the problem when brining it in for service. the service engine light does not come on. | |||
| 10/10/2004 | |||
| I have a 1999 pontiac grand am gt, and have had problems that the dealer refuses to fix since day one! the first day that we brought it home, dealer had to come and tow it back to dealership because the alternator went out, suddenly with no warning whatsoever. dealer fixed that problem because it was under warranty. we had a problem with the radiator soon after that, dealer refused to fix it even though it was still under warranty. i had to pay out of pocket, still. recently, within the past 2 months, the intake gasket manifold is leaking antifreeze. car ran hot suddenly and without warning. dealer refuses to fix this because the car is no longer under warranty. this in itself will cost me another $700 out of pocket, not to mention all the other things wrong with the car. the leather on the door is peeling and folding, dealer refused to fix even though we had written orders from the manager to fix it. the driver side window squeaks and rubs when opening and closing. we have called and talked with dealership over and over again with no avail! i have maintenance done to the car every 3000 miles, so this is due to no fault of my own! all in all this car is a lemon! i will never buy a gm made car again! something needs to be done. my son could have been killed and my husband and i also! this needs to be addressed. obviously gm knows about this problem, will they wait to do something about it until someone is killed? *nm | |||
| 05/01/2003 | 37000 | 1 | 04/01/2000 |
| Last year went to my dealer for routine maintenance and service tech suggested i buy a new car, because the problems they discovered were going to be over $4,000 to fix. thought this was strange as i have only had the car for less than 3 years. my mechanic fixed the coolant intake manifold for a lot less than the dealer but said he has seen this in gm cars before and gm knows about this issue. they have recalled vehicles in the past for this problem. apparently the glycol coolant eats the gaskets and causes the leaks to the rest of the systems. fixing the gasket with the new and improved version just delays the damage that has already been done, and the recall that may happen one day, after we have all sold or junked our cars. which i am sure is what gm is waiting for. next time i buy an import. *jb | |||
| 04/14/2003 | 60000 | 1 | 07/01/2001 |
| (1)our low coolant light illuminated so we topped off engine coolant. we were turning around a curve at about 45mph and when the low coolant light came on again. (2) fortunately we were just finished a right curve on a secluded road or we would have veered into oncomming traffic when all power steering was lost. we regained control without power steering,lights or brakes on the passenger side. upon investigation we were able to determine fluid discharged from the reservoir and covered engine belts,brakes and tires on passenger side therefore making them slipp. this is what caused power steering,lights,brakes and traction loss. if the driver was of less strenght and awareness, the conditions were wet or traffic was heavier this could have possibly been a disturbing accident and possibly fatal. (3) it was discovered that the vehicles lower intake manifold gasket leaked which caused the overheating and discharge of fluid. vehicle had less than 60,000 miles. a friend of ours has the exact same vehicle and recently repaired the same problem. *ak | |||
| 07/13/2004 | 1 | ||
| Recall repair refund request. *mr the engine coolant light had come on along with the heater not blowing hot air. the consumer had initially gone to master lube who informed the consumer that the intake manifold was malfunctioning and needed to be replaced. the consumer was also informed about a recall. the consumer was told that they would not be able to perform the recall for free because the vehicle was purchased used. *sc *jb | |||
| 04/12/2004 | 55000 | 9 | 03/08/2000 |
| Second notice posted: ince 2002: replaced rotors, too thin when car was manufactured. (no recall ever done). cooling system: although the manifold gasket has been replaced, the water reservoir cap has been replaced, the radiator flushed repeatedly, entire cooling system bleed (to remove any excess air from radiator), serpentine belt replaced, all fuses, including the ac relay fuse/switch, all sensors replaced, and various mechanics have checked the entire car bumper-to-bumper, it continues to leak antifreeze coolant by forcing the water out of the radiator into the reservoir and out through the overflow tub (small tube located on reservoir tank). excess pressure building up in the system. leaking antifreeze once car is stopped. i have to refill the tank at least once a week. this problem (the pontiac grand am leaking coolant) is a common problem with all pontiac grand am. recall to some component of cooling system is dire overdue! this car is an oil change every three months, regardless of 3000 miles or not, still out of the blue, the lifters are knocking and the belt is making a very high pitched screeching sound. believed tension pulley needs replacing, with a possibility that all other pulleys need replacing. its not the belt; the belt has been considered by three different mechanics has been basically new. also, although it has only happened three times in the last several months, the engine has stalled. when this originally happened i changed the grade of gasoline i put in the car from 87 grade to 89 grade. didn't help. (number of failures: for coolant leaks: infinite). *ak | |||
| 04/05/2004 | 40600 | 2 | |
| Coolant leak when parked on hill, window fell down and broke. severe wind noise at speed with passnger window up. *jb | |||
| 05/10/2004 | 45000 | 1 | 07/11/2001 |
| I have a 99 pontiac grand am and my wife has a 99 chevy lumina. the lumina started to have trouble running, hesitating, and going through anti-freeze (1 gallon) weekly! i took her car to a garage and they replaced the intake manifold gaskets at a cost of $800.00. her car only has 60,000 miles on it! the anti-freeze also gelled up and had to be flushed. when i picked her car up the mechanic laughed and told me that a 99 grand am just came in with the same problem! he knew i had a 99 grand am and told me to check it. i just checked it today and there is anti-freeze in the oil, and all over the engine. i had to fill the anti-freeze (about a half a gallon) and replace the oil before i can take it to the garage. what really angers me is that my car only has 45,000 miles on it!! what can be done about it? *la | |||
| 04/18/2004 | 1 | 02/20/2004 | |
| Low coolant light came on i had just had the car service 2 weeks before and the intake gasket is leaking just got the car from a used dealer on feb 20, 2004. is there a recall on this problem. when i bought the car the dealer said it was normal for the temperature gauge to be at 200 i did not think that was right? now it looks like i have oil in my coolant could that be? *la | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 0 | ||
| The heater control won't work at speed 1 and 2. the paint on the window frame is falling away. the rear struts failed. the transmission completely stopped working at all with no prior warning. the car doesn't heat up fully when it gets under 20 degress temperature. the rotors warp too quickly. | |||
| 06/15/2003 | 81000 | ||
| In august of 2001 when i purchased this car i felt a rattle on my brakes which is still there. my power windows are scratched from rolling up and down. paint around the spoiler and bumper and on the roof is chiped off. i had to replace the generator in 2002. i had to have the intake manifold seals replaced in 2002. (3.4l v6) i had to have the waterpump replaced in spring of 2003. now the head gaskets are broken the intake manifold seals again are broken. my transmission is no longer working. in other words i can not drive my car anymore; it is sitting my garage. the cost amounts to more than the car is worth in dollars and i still owe $9.500 on this car. | |||
| 03/16/2004 | 70000 | 2 | 06/10/1998 |
| Intake manifold gasket had to be replace twice within 70,000 miles. *nm | |||
| 70000 | 1 | 12/01/2001 | |
| Consumer complained about an intake manifold gasket leak. consumer worried that the leak may damage the engine. *ak in two 2 1/2 years, the consumer replaced the alternator, water pump, serpentine belt, two throttle position sensors, ignition coils, thermostat, 1 module, battery, and the airbag was gradually coming out without force. *sc | |||
| 09/02/2003 | 65000 | 1 | 09/01/2000 |
| Vehicle's coolant indicator light came on and the consumer noticed a puddle of coolant in the drive way. it was determined that the intake manifold gasket failed and caused the coolant to leak and went through the engine. the mechanic replaced the intake manifold gasket. *nm *jb | |||
| 03/01/2003 | 78000 | 6 | 11/15/1998 |
| Problems with vehicle's water pump and belt tensioner. *mr there was a gap in the body at the passenger front floor board, there was a short in the volume of the radio, bad display, bad motor carriage, and the hood did not hold with the prop stick. *scc *jb | |||
| 06/18/2003 | 89000 | 1 | |
| The engine, engine cooling system and alternator failed. *ph *cb *nlm | |||
| 06/20/2003 | 78000 | 4 | 06/01/1998 |
| During the last 6 months my wife and i have put approximately $650.00 into a 1999 grand am. this was replacing the water pump, alternator and the *intake gaskets *has not been 30 days. on june 20 the engine fails. this was a $220.00 towing bill. several people and mechanics are questioned no one has the answer. but i do believe gm can provide the answer to all of our questions. we will never own another gm product. *nlm | |||
| 06/16/2003 | 72000 | 02/14/2000 | |
| I have a 99 pontiac grand am gt with 72000 miles. i have had several issues with the car. first, (at approx 50k) the coolant light came on, i took it to firestone and they had to replace the water pump and the serpentine belt. the brakes grind and i had the pads/rotors checked and they check out okay? occasionally, the car will sputter under acceleration for no reason. the coolant light came on again at 71k and now the gasket has to be replaced at my own cost. from my research, gm and pontiac know about the problem, but will not issue the recall. they continue to pocket the money from those that are uninformed and from those who are. if i could, i would get rid of this car and never buy a gm product again. *nlm | |||
| 04/30/2003 | 48407 | 8 | 05/24/2002 |
| Engine running hot/over heating due to coolant leak. the leak was caused by faulty intake manifold gasket. | |||
| 03/02/2003 | 07/31/1998 | ||
| I have a 1999 pontiac grand am with 77645 miles on it. i continually have to put brakes on it, i have had to replace a water pump, rebuild the alternator. now i think it may have a blown head gasket. i have a family member with the same kind of car and the same problem. *nlm | |||
| 03/07/2000 | 30000 | 50 | 02/07/2000 |
| I have had to have the following repaired: the fan replaced 2 times, the brakes repaired 4 times, the radio replaced once, the water pump replaced once and the battery replaced twice. i am also having problems with the transmission it has been slipping. the intake gasket needs to replaced because antifreeze is leaking out and one of the lifters is knocking. most of these problems started at about 30,000 miles and gradually there was just one problem after another. i took it in to the dealership for the tranmission at about 32,000 miles and since the dealership couldn't get it to slip they wouldn't do anything about it. the brakes started having problems at 40,000 miles. i called gm to complain about the car and gm told me there was nothing they could do because it was out of warranty. if it was still under warranty they would replaced the rotors because the rotors were to thin when the car was manufactured. i wonder why no recall was sent out on this. the brakes are an important part of a car. the battery, radio and fan were replaced at about 30,000 also. then the fan was replaced again at about 70,000. the intake started giving me problems that about 90,000. the second battery was installed at about 95,000. the lifter started having problems at about 110,000. the transmission has slipped ever since i got the car. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 11/03/2008 | 76000 | 1 | |
| Had all window mechanisms replaced after enduring a wonderful garbage bag cover treatment for window beauty enhancement last winter 2007-08. found my ignition refuses to start w/ 1 key. i started noticing the smell of antifreeze. took to my mechanic of 22 years. thought it was a crack in the actual container which houses antifreeze. this was replaced. nope. still leaking. car never indicated on panel that it was above temp & overheated, stayed within the normal range. the car never once overheated. mechanic couldn't find the problem. said it was a faulty computer... indicates, tires need checking, flashing lights, abs off/on...which by the way was causing me to not have my car pass inspection to add insult to injury!! found i was all of a sudden replacing antifreeze by the gallons. was still paying off mechanic from previous issues. don't ask, while trying to figure out the antifreeze problem! brought car in to have radiator checked by friends mechanic, fluid was literally pouring out of bottom of car. $1600. later!! head gasket set,waterpump,serpentine belt, radiator hoses, thermostat & gaskets, crossoverpipes, airfilter...now? 1 1/2 months later? well hey.guess what? riding merrily to work last sat. car stalled all the way...& yipee another visit, another mere 900. bag of shells consisting of crank shaft, bearings. can you believe it? i don't have it!!.....i thought this guy was putting me on...i've lost work since i'm 45 min. away. i've spoken to pontiac several times. they want nothing to do with this. act dumb- the american way...weird, i've read more complaints about this issue, i'm surprised you guys don't demand some resolution for consumers. what gives? it's so incredibly obvious this is a real solid complaint about engine defect with all the evidence to back it up!! i think it was minnisota or missouri that consumers actually won a class action suit against pontiac for these specific complaints. namely head gasket, engine related issues.. *tr | |||
| 02/27/2008 | 90 | 2 | |
| Coolant rservoir intake manifold on my 99 pontiac grand am kept messing up ive spent over 1200 in a matter ot 2 months. | |||
| 03/14/2006 | 75000 | 2 | 02/11/2006 |
| Purchased the car in 2005 with 68k on it. one month later coolant light came on, found out the manifold gaskets were in need of repair, 800.0, two weeks later same problem this time the leaking caused damage to the heads 1700.00 repair.....have a call into gm now. *nm | |||
| 02/13/2006 | 927000 | 2 | 07/12/1999 |
| While driving to work, my intake manifold gasket on my 1999 grand am was totally dissolved. i had it towed to a shop which the mechanic stated with the dex-cool in this year vehicle gm have had problems, with the dex-cool eating the gaskets and water pump. i have gone through 2 water pumps already, and now my intake manifold gasket had to be replaced at a charge of $700.00. *jb | |||
| 09/13/1999 | 6000 | 2 | 09/15/1998 |
| Replacement of the following parts on 99 pontiac grand am, r&r fuel strainer & filter/fuel filter/fuel pump/fuel injection/water pump/ecm/2brake jobs/thermostat/also i am having problems with coolant system overheating/ loss of coolant/ fog window/ smell of coolant/ loss of power/ low coolant continually i have to add coolant every week. *nm | |||
| 07/01/2005 | |||
| Pontiac grand am: i have heard of several owners having repairs for the head gasket or aluminum heads malfuncioning causing cracked block. the radiator starts leaking imperceptively, problem before you have time to notice car overheats | |||
| 06/02/2005 | 82789 | 4 | 03/28/2005 |
| I have a 1999 grand am gt that i bought a month and half ago. all of a sudden the car started to over heat and losing a lot of coolant! we replaced the theromstate, radiator cap, flushed the sytem and still was over heating!!! now the car is broke down and needs a head gasket or even need to replace both heads!! nothing but problems with the whole coolant system!!. i think that this is pretty bad that gm knows that these types of vechile's especially 3.4 are having these problems, but are not trying to nothing about it. when i bought my car i expected it to reliable since it was that new, the worst thing is that i paid striaght cash for it and don't even get to enjoy it!!!. i think gm knows that they messed up and that dex cool is what the whole problem is, but they don't care since there not the one who has the worry's. plus people has to have transportation so therefor they take it to the gm dealership to get fix. so the point i'm trying to make is that gm knows it should be recalled but why should they when thats just puting money in there pocket.!!!!!!!!!! | |||
| 02/22/2005 | 83778 | 1 | 01/05/2004 |
| Vehicle suddenly began to overheat without cause. had coolant system checked and replaced water pump, radiator cap and coolant. noticed that oil color had began to turn a lighter shade of brown. repairman informed me that water was leaking due to a faulty gasket and leaking into the lower intake. 700 dollar repair. also informed that a tsb had been issued and that gm was paying for some requests. | |||
| 05/12/2004 | 82000 | 4 | 09/16/2000 |
| Water pump failure, 5 months later leak in intak manifold gasket. replaced in 5/2004 six months later engine clattered and lost compression (term lacking) found that the cam and lifters destroyed because antirfreeze leaked in to engine preventing oil lubrication to lifters destroying engine. antifreeze fumes leaked into car while driving prior to gasket repair. the potential danger of engine seizing up while in motion is great and i feel that these vehicles should be recalled due to defective gaskets. 3.4lt v6 engines are notorius for this problem please see gmconsumers@groups.msn.com for more postings of this same problem. why should death be the only motivator to get something done. shouldn't this be addressed before some gets killed as direct result of failure?*ak | |||
| 06/14/2004 | 75000 | 10 | 10/19/2000 |
| Purchased used 1999 grand am used with 40000 miles. problems begin with replacing 2 alternators, while replacing those i noticed coolant leaking then replaced water pump, a battery, days later heard noise from lf wheel- replaced wheel hub bearing. also having major electrical problems such as continuosly changing bulbs (mostly tail lights), cigarette lighter wont work (fuses are good), radio knob works sometimes but no lights on the display meaning i have no clock. signal lights blink extremely fast, dashlights flicker, knocking noise in front end when turning,oh yeah the best one yet... now i have coolant leaking from from the intake. im sure gm wont take care of these problems of mine or many others like me, but i can say i will buy a ford next time i promise. *ak | |||
| 03/02/2004 | 4 | 05/08/1998 | |
| I have a 1999 pontiac grand am. it has been in the shop at least every three months. the brakes have been replaced 3 times and the rotors twice. i take the car to an independent mechanic due to the dealer always saying nothing was wrong. the water pump went out, the manifold gasket cracked, the low track light has gone on since the day i bought it every time i turn left or right. the windows scratch and have been replaced once and scratched again about 2 months later, the dealer said it was the tinter that ruined them so i paid. i cant do that again so they remain scratched. i looked at a website mycarstats.com and there were 526 complaints and every single one had the same problems. i work with 5 other people that own grand ams and we've all had the same trouble. something has to be done, why do we have to be stuck with 1000s of dollars in car repairs and the manufacture not assume responsibility. i've had problems since i purchased the car brand new so there are several incident dates. thank you. *ak | |||
| 11/20/2002 | 1 | 05/06/1998 | |
| I purchased the car brand new(1999 pontiac grand am) the brakes have been replaced four times and the rotors once. the water pump once and the water neck once. the windows are all scratched. the dealer claims no responsibility. after reading through my car stats.com several grand am owners have had these same problems and pontiac refuses to provide customer care. *ak | |||
| 12/06/2003 | 10 | 11/05/2000 | |
| Coolant system- intake manifolds. dealer advised the intake manifold is leaking. vehicle has 90k miles (highway). dealer advised the coolant will mix with the engine oil causing a catastrophic failure. see many other complaint regarding the same replacement on 3.4 liter engines. previously have replaced both r/l hub bearings, alternator, starter, drivebelt, power steering pump and return line, and radio.*ak | |||
| 06/01/2003 | 40000 | 1 | 11/20/1999 |
| Engine is overheating after intack gasket replacement. *ak | |||
| 08/15/2000 | 36000 | ||
| Purchased a used 1999 pontiac se in august 2000 with 36 k miles. have replaced the following items, water pump, two alternators, passenger side window with regulator, drivers side window with regulators - twice, engine replaced after a catastrophic failure in the cooling system, just replaced defective head gasket or manifold intake and the list goes on, and a dexcool that solidifies throughout cooling system at high temperature. overall $7200.00 in less than 3 years. needs to be a recall on the entire cooling system with gaskets. *la | |||
| 08/25/2003 | 61000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle is running extremely hot. dealer replaced thermostat, and problem still occurring. in addition, coolant system warning indicator light came on. *ak | |||
| 05/01/2003 | 1 | ||
| Leaking antifreeze from head gasket. *ak | |||
| 03/07/2003 | 88000 | 08/23/2000 | |
| Have had passenger window break 3 times now and pontiac will do nothing about it. the driver side has broken once so far. the brakes have been replaced twice and they need to be done again. the car shakes while braking. *nlm | |||
| 02/24/2003 | 30000 | 08/15/1999 | |
| My car is a 1999 pontiac grand am gt. i have 55,600 miles on the vehicle and have had nothing but problems with the vehicle. before the car even had 30.000 miles on it, the alternator went bad (i was initially told it was a bad battery, so in addition i purchased a new battery), the steering wheel was replaced, and the dome lights were replaced. between 30,000 and 50,000 miles, the electronic throttle regulator went bad, the engine coolant system cap leaked and damaged my belts, and the intake gasket is leaking. with a new car, this is an unreasonable amount of defects and i needed to know how to report this car as a serious hazard or as a serious lemon. | |||
| 10/15/2002 | 1 | 12/01/2098 | |
| Defect in this model many failures in this and other units. dt | |||
| 04/04/2002 | 03/01/2099 | ||
| I have had issues with the roters raido replaced 2 times, the doors bubble, many issues to write. the car is no longer under warrenty, how ever it was my under standing thet the coolent system was covered for 150,00, the intake gasket needs replaceing the car has been at the dealership for almost 2 weeks , couldnt find the part. this issue is out of pocket 800.00. very dissatified with gm, no efforts to give a car to use, dealer will charge 20.00 a day, who can afford that when 800.00 has to be paid to get the car running again. because the car is no longer under warrenty, the customer is out of luck for any king of help. i will suggest when asked not to buy a pontiac, or gm very disapointed.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer experiencing various problems with vehicle such as strong fuel smell inside of vehicle, intake manifold leaking, engine running rough / flutters and dies while driving, strong fuel smell, bad relay in a/c, orange jelly-like substance in engine oil, abs light on when stepping on brake, consumer also stated that all lights were coming on, however dealer could not duplicate the problem. *ak *tt | |||
| 02/01/2000 | 07/01/1998 | ||
| One month after a purchased the car, it had to be taken back twice for passenger seat-determined it was not bolted correctly-at two years, motor had to be replaced-at 3 years the radiator had to be fixed and more metal was found in the oil filter-the alternator went at just over three years-brakes had to be replaced every year-cruise control works randomly since the beginning (reported to delaer; supposedly no errors were found), car hesitates and spits & sputters when idling, etc. etc. one big lemon! | |||
| 12/31/2001 | 0 | ||
| While driving engine will heat up without a prior warning. consumer has to drive off the road and allow engine to cool down. will not cool down on its own. please provide more information.*ak | |||
| 04/05/2001 | 2 | 07/30/1998 | |
| Low coolant light on dashboard came on. consumer added dex special coolant twice, approximately a half gallon of 50% water/50% coolant. previously, every time 3,000 mile oil change indicator light came on, consumer noticed that coolant level was low. this time, consumer took vehicle to dealership , and found out that coolant was getting into oil, causing oil to be a milky color. *note: consumer was told it could possibly be caused by a defective head gasket or manifold intake. dealership is in possession of vehicle.*ak consumer states so far the newly installed upper and lower gaskets are holding, consumer states he has spoken to 3 independent mechanics who state that the problem is probably with the manifold intake gaskets and not the head gasket, these three people indicated that the failure was due to improper torque of defective gaskets. *slc | |||
| 12/15/2000 | 1 | ||
| Intake to coolant has a leak. *slc | |||
| 07/15/1998 | 10 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Since new, car has been at dealer 7-times for vibration in front end, 5 times for excessive steering backlash, 3 times for steering wheel shimmy during braking, and 2 times for engine high temperature. (5 tires have been replaced. 4 rims have been replaced. 3 sets of brake rotors have been replaced. power steering pump replaced. power rack and pinion unit replaced. front end aligned. tires balanced 9 times.) vibration still exists at highway speeds with car pulling to the right. dealer wants to replace tires again along with one more rim. car engine temperature goes up to 230 degrees, dealer says it is normal. steering wheel still shimmies during braking and during highway speeds. front tires show cupping and premature wear patterns with only 4000 miles since being replaced. seems like dealer(s) do not want to solve problem. i would like a new car, but dealer does not want to give me one.( dot number: 91s s2 tire size: p225/50r16 ) | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - FAN | |||
| 10/31/2006 | 1 | 05/13/2002 | |
| I own a 1999 grand am se that i purchased used in 2001. in the 5 years that i've owned this vehicle the heater fan motor has been replaced 4 times. it starts out with only a few of the fan speeds working then a terrible smell with smoke coming up through the dashboard then the fan doesn't work on any of the speeds. in each of these episodes the blower resister got melted and had to be replaced. the last time this happened in october 2006 my car had to be sent to an electrical mechanic due to a short in the wiring which resulted in the dash having to be removed then the fan motor and fan resister could be replaced. in 2006 i also had problems with the drivers door window when it finally just fell down into the door to the cost of $250.00 and a rental car for 2 days due to the wrong part being delivered to the dealership. i've also had numerous problems with the front brakes and the passenger door has a loud pop every time it is opened, i'm scared of getting an estimate on this problem because every repair for my grand am is ridiculously expensive, when i question the cost i always hear well it's because it's a grand am, they're a piece of crap, especially the 1999's. *jb | |||
| 10/12/2003 | 0 | ||
| Ac/heating fan no longer works on settings 1 or 2 | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 03/27/2009 | 1 | ||
| I have a 1999 pontiac grand am 3.4l. i've owned this car since 2001 and i have already replaced my intake manifold gasket (under warranty) in 2002. i now have to replace it again! except this time there was a fault in the gasket in the engine as well, which resulted in seized bearings, snapped camshaft, broken and bent valve as well as the caps to the oil and coolant being overheated and not going on properly. i am told this is because of dexcool and the gaskets. *tr | |||
| 04/05/2005 | 56000 | 50 | 12/07/2000 |
| Near crash. occasionally the rpms while in gear will raise to 3300 rpm making it almost impossible to stop quickly enough to avoid and accident. i found if i put the car in neutral and turn off the ignition then restart the idle will return back to 650-700 rpms. now this has been happening for almost a year. i went to pontiac and they couldn't find a problem... i had a friend who also had a 1999 grand am who had the same problem happen with him which cause him to have a single car accident on a wet road. has anyone else wrote into you about this problem? *nm | |||
| 05/11/2006 | 65000 | 1 | 06/17/1999 |
| I have a '99 pontiac grand am with 65,000 miles with a defective intake manifold gasket. i understand this is a class action suit issue in canada and is a common issue in the usa also. gm is not issuing a recall even though there is evidence this is a defective part (or defective because of the dexcool coolant). i spoke with gm and was told this was not a recall item and the car was out of the warranty period. fortunately, this problem was recognized and remedied prior to ruining the engine. the repair bill was $558.84. *nm | |||
| 03/02/2006 | 61000 | 1 | 06/01/2000 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 60 mph all the lights on the dash failed and the engine stalled. the vehicle was pushed to the side of the road. after the vehicle was restarted, it was taken to the dealership for inspection. they replaced the ignition switch and cylinder, which remedied the problem. | |||
| 09/05/2005 | 106000 | 3 | 10/16/2004 |
| I bought my 1999 grand am in oct' 04. the first 2 mo. of owning it my alternator went out. a few months later i had to replace my front brakes. shortly after that my(2nd) alternator and a/c pump went out not to mention the battery too. oh and not only has the service engine light been on most of the time, a second service engine light came on! i have never known a vehicle to have 2 service engine lights on at the same time!! was this some kind of premonition!? as soon as i got the car back,i went and picked my kids up to go to the fair. we were not even 2 miles out of town yet when my engine started overheating. i had to pull over and wait for quite sometime before i could make it home safely with my children. now my car that i've spent a lot of money on, not just purchasing the car,but also in parts is currently in the shop for either a blown head gasket or the engine block is damaged. the mechanic told me this is happening to a lot of these specific cars or should i say engine type. nevertheless, this is costly and very dangerous to everyone who owns one of these lemons!!!! something needs to be done real quick with these problems or the manufacture of these vehicles will be paying for more than just parts! *cb *nm | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 15 | 10/12/2004 | |
| I own a 1999 grand am se. ever since i bought the car in oct '04 i have been having nothing but problems with it. this past june i had to replace the engine. leading up to that the car would die at least once a week. i would bring it to the dealer (more like tow it) and i would always be told nothing is wrong. then yet again it would die. after that the stalling began. i would be driving and the car would shut off. it would usually take up to 10 minutes to turn back on. once the dealer went well maybe its your lights, you leave them on. my response was how do i leave on automatic lights? i have had to replace my alternator 3 times and have had to replace my battery twice. it got to the point that once i shut off my car the only way to start it was by taking out the mail relay chip for 2 minutes than replacing it. than the car would start up. finally i was on the high way and out of no where you head a loud pop. there went the header, pistons, oil gasket. the engine blew. however it was never a effect of the oil. i was always checking it and getting it changed once ever other month (i commuted a lot). so i got a rebuilt engine put in and the problems went away... or so i thought. last night i was driving and all of a sudden my car started shaking. it went from a little to a great amount. the muffler is making an odd puff puff noise and the exhaust smells like windshield washer fluid (only was to describe it). i pulled it into my driveway and on went the trac off light and the service engine soon lights. thank you. also prior to the new engine my cds would no longer play. i would get the e20 error and the cds would spit out. another problem is my rear passenger windows have scratches up the middle of them. i can not figure out where the marks are coming from. *jb | |||
| 08/22/2005 | 98000 | 2 | 01/17/2002 |
| My 99 pontiac grand am started having coolant problems, the vehicle engine temperature would go up and down for a month, finally the vehicle just one day overheated. i had the whole coolant system replaced, ( 600.00 later). about a week or two after it started to overheat again, before i could bring it back to the mechanic to check it out, the engine blew. i have not been able to replace the engine yet, nor do i know if i will as the vehicle is not worth the cost to repair. i refuse to pay almost 2k to get an engine for something else to go wrong.. i know there is a defect in the coolant system causing the engine to over heat.. my mechanic said my camshaft completely split in half, and he has never seen this before but knows of a few people who have same year make and model that the same thing happened to. it cant be a coincidence. *jb | |||
| 01/25/2005 | 2 | 05/05/2003 | |
| My car has been leaking antifreeze which can be smelled in the car. no one has been able to determine as of yet where it is coming from. however, shortly after it had been noticed that my car was leaking antifreeze, my alternator went out. when it was pulled out from the engine, it was assumed that it had been on fire. it is felt that the alternator looks like it had been electrocuted. all of the rubber that covers the wires had been completely burned away. considering that i drive my infant son around in this vehicle, not to mention myself this can not possibly be safe if the vehicle is catching on fire. the car has approximately 68000 miles on it. it also has all types of problems with the locks and the ignition. this is the worst car that i have ever owned in my life, not to mention the most dangerous. i am just waiting for it to burst into flames while i am driving down the street!!!! not to mention, my vehicle has all of the front suspension problems that others have reported. especially the pulling to various sides without warning and the shaking that happens around 55 to 60 mph. this is just not a safe vehicle at all.*ak | |||
| 12/17/2004 | 100000 | 1 | 10/22/2002 |
| I had to replace the tensioner soon after that the engine went. i have two friends with same problem. i have a 99 pontiac grand am. currently my car is in the shop . the car just hit 100k miles. also the shop where my car is being fix notice that there was coolant leaking into the engine. *ak | |||
| 10/02/2003 | 2 | 02/11/2003 | |
| Recall repair refund request. *mr the engine coolant low light had illuminated and the heater was not blowing hot air. the intake manifold gasket was malfunctioning and needed to be replaced. the consumer and her baby suffered anti-freeze poisoning. the consumer requested a full refund. *sc *jb | |||
| 05/27/2004 | 75884 | 1 | 08/28/2001 |
| My 1999 grand am developed a low coolant problem. i had added nearly a gallon of the recommended dex-cool in a 50/50 mix with water. on my way to work one morning, the oil light came on. as i was on a highway, it took a minute to get off the road. when i did, i found that there was no measurable oil on the dip-stick. in addition, when i removed the oil cap, i found a thick milky substance on it. i called for a tow truck and the car was towed to a dealership. the engine was blown and the total repair bill came to nearly $5,000.00! i did some research and found that all of the symptoms i had with the car prior to that day were common with the gm 3.4 engine in my car and that many others have had this occur. the intake manifold gasket fails and the antifreeze goes into the engine causing failure. i called pontiac and asked for assistance with the repair bill as it is common knowledge that this is an ongoing problem with several gm engines. they investigated and the service manager at the dealership stated that the reason for the engine failure was that the car was driven with no oil. i may be wrong here, but when antifreeze mixes with oil that is the same as having no oil. i am totally frustrated and now have not only a car payment, but a loan payment for the repair bill. i would burn this car if i thought i could! *jb | |||
| 04/02/2002 | 1 | ||
| I have a 1999 grand am with 47,000 miles. it started to over heat took it to a pontiac dealer to have it looked at. it was the intake manifold that needed repaired. the bill ended up at 825.77. pontiac and gm has known about the problem. contacted gm to see if they were going to do anything about they told us our car was to old and had to many miles. got on line was able to find other people with the same problem with less miles than my car. a lot of unhappy people with pontiac. found out there is a service bulletin out. *jb | |||
| 03/13/2001 | 28000 | 4 | 03/23/1999 |
| Intake manifold gasket leaking oil. (lower/upper) - this has been replaced 3 times to date and the problem is continuing. it was replaced on 3/13/01 at 21,494 miles; 6/10/02 at 31,339 miles; 10/27/03 at 41,549 miles; and now at 48,400 and was just replaced for the 4th time this february 2004. | |||
| 02/12/2004 | 1 | 01/02/1999 | |
| Engine hesistates violently when accelerating from rest. simultaneously all of the gauges go to maximum value and return to real values quickly (much like at engine start-up). hesistation ceases and car performs as normal. this problem has occurred about 6 times over 5 years. the total lack of engine power is unnerving and has lead to one near mmiss accident while trying to complete a left turn ahead of uncoming traffic as engine hesistaed and nearly stalled.*ak | |||
| 01/25/2003 | 37585 | 01/11/2003 | |
| Major car repair on engine. *ak | |||
| 37000 | 1 | ||
| The vehicle overheated and was taken to the dealer. the mechanic determined the head gaskets were faulty and needed to be replaced. please provide further details. *jb | |||
| 07/17/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states that vehicle would shut off without warning. dealer notified.*ak | |||
| 07/07/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states that the manifold gasket was leaking coolant, which in turn caused the engine to overheat. currently, engine has shutdown completely and needs to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 06/24/2003 | 11000 | 11 | 04/30/2000 |
| 1999 pontiac grand am 2.4 l auto severe brake failure---replacement of pads 8 times, rotors 3 times and calipers 2 times in 80,000 miles. brakes occasionally lock up and make loud grinding and squealing noises steering shudders and vehicle pulls to left.. participating pontiac dealer failed to fix this problem since purchase at 11,000 miles. under warranty replacement it has had 6 door panels due to peeling leather on top of panel, 5 gear shifters due to dealers improper installation, 2 factory cd/radio failures, 1 rack and pinion unit, 2 front strut assemblies due to knocking noise from front of car (went bad after 10,000 miles use), problem with hesitation at idle-cold start(unsuccessfully diagnosed by dealer) carpet loose in trunk around latch assembly(too short for trunk and was hot glued to back wall of car by dealer instead of replacement). turn signals still occasionally fail to work(dealer said they worked just fine) battery connection in factory battery broke loose spilling corrosive battery acid all over around battery tray area. all four wheel covers have been replaced because of pie pan noise when you hit a bump (new ones did not fix problem). after warranty was up pontiac' care hotline or the dealer could care less that after dozens of trips for repairs the dealer still didn't fix the car while it was still under warranty. since then,besides the unrepaired items on my car, the alternator went bad at 60,000 miles ($120), glass in interior rear view mirror broke while adjusting, both outside rear view mirrors have broke off in two different automatic car washes (held into door by a stud mounted into 1/4 inch of plastic in the mirror). and the ignition switch failed at 75,000 miles($300). fog lights and backup lights have water condensation in them shorting out bulbs. surprisingly ,this car is babied ,but by in my description you sure couldn't tell it. *nlm | |||
| 06/14/2003 | 78000 | 2 | 02/01/2000 |
| Intake gasket failed at 78,000, two weeks later it failed again. two and one half months later the crankshaft failed to due deterioration of bearings caused by leaking of antifreeze in the engine. *nlm | |||
| 05/20/2003 | 51225 | 1 | 08/16/1999 |
| Failure of manifold gasket on my 1999 grand am gt. | |||
| 05/16/2003 | 86000 | 0 | 04/12/2001 |
| My 1999 pontiac grand am has a leaking manifold gasket letting coolant into the engine.*jb | |||
| 02/15/2002 | 43 | 1 | 11/12/2002 |
| Engine blew up at 43,000 miles. almost cause a accident due to engine not giving indication that there was a problem, and lost control of the vehicle. *nlm | |||
| 03/29/2003 | 1 | 09/13/2002 | |
| Blown intake gasket. *jb | |||
| 03/20/2003 | 60000 | 3 | 11/21/1998 |
| Had coolant leak from intake gasket at 65,000 miles. horn does not work again (been to shop 3 times previously) 2 times could not duplicate, 1 time replaced spring in switch. this was while under warranty, now that it is not under warranty, the dealership has asked me to pay $188.34 to fix a short under the airbag. this short had to exist previous to the warranty expiring. i have never opened the steering wheel cover. also, when vehicle was less than 2 years old, the brakes would pulse and make heavy rumbling noise whenever trying to depress the brakes going down a very minor hill. had dealer replace pads, still exhibited same behavior. *jb | |||
| 02/27/2003 | 44853 | 1 | 07/08/1999 |
| Internal leak from intake manifold gasket requiring replacement. all hoses had to be replaced including upper/lower radiator , throttle body coolant, and intake gaskets...total cost $1621.00. technician said he has seen approximately. 2 to 3 grand ams in shop for same defect. *jb | |||
| 10/01/2002 | 70000 | 1 | 07/08/1998 |
| I own a 1999 pontiac grand am. i have a coolant leak and have been told that it is from an intake gasket. i have researched this and the problem seems to be as common as a house plant. why has gm not been forced into a recall? or better yet, why has gm not done the right thing and issued a recall?*jb | |||
| 01/12/2003 | 1 | ||
| The vehicle stalled, which caused consumer to pull over abruptly.*jb | |||
| 02/04/2003 | 44000 | 1 | 11/24/2002 |
| The vehicle stalled and dealer order a new motor.*jb | |||
| 04/28/2001 | |||
| Vehicle was leaking oil from head gasket,. dealer and manufacturer were notified. feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 01/20/2002 | 1 | 04/01/2000 | |
| Antifreeze reaction with aluminum causing failure of gasket. *ak | |||
| 04/05/2001 | 2 | 07/30/1998 | |
| Low coolant light on dashboard came on. consumer added dex special coolant twice, approximately a half gallon of 50% water/50% coolant. previously, every time 3,000 mile oil change indicator light came on, consumer noticed that coolant level was low. this time, consumer took vehicle to dealership , and found out that coolant was getting into oil, causing oil to be a milky color. *note: consumer was told it could possibly be caused by a defective head gasket or manifold intake. dealership is in possession of vehicle.*ak consumer states so far the newly installed upper and lower gaskets are holding, consumer states he has spoken to 3 independent mechanics who state that the problem is probably with the manifold intake gaskets and not the head gasket, these three people indicated that the failure was due to improper torque of defective gaskets. *slc | |||
| 02/24/2000 | |||
| Within 35 minutes of parking the vehicle, consumer was informed that vehicle was on fire. fire was extinguished by employee. vehicle was towed to dealer, and informed consumer that fire may have commenced from the cowl panel. state farm insurance, however, said that the fire was not the result of mechanical difficulties with the car, and that there was not an explanation for the fire. *ak *ml | |||
| 11/05/1999 | 1 | ||
| I hit a pot hole going about 25mph and broke the right engine mount making the car undrivable. it was a loaner while my grand am is in the shop, so i don't have to pay, but there is barely more than 36000 miles on the car and the engine mount should not break. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 03/03/2003 | 78426 | 0 | 12/30/2001 |
| Intake manifold gasket was installed wrong when car was manufactured. allowing antifreeze to mix with the engine oil, which leads to overheating of vehicle.because of this defect( which gm themselves have a technical service bulletin (tsb) admitting that they have a problem). this defect caused my car to overheat warping the heads on the engine , now the engine is no good. i have talked to gm about the problem 2 times . the 1st time they told me that yes they knew they had a problem but it was not enough for a recall yet. the 2nd time i talked to them they told me basically the same thing, but that if i was to bring it in to a pontiac dealership and have it diagnosed then they would go from there.well i called a pontiac dealership to ask how much was the cost of this diagnostic and they said about $1000.00. i'm sorry but im a single mother raising 4 children if i had a $1000.00 for the diagnostic test i could just as soon use that money to fix my car.i have talked to numerous mechanics, including the mechanics of our columbus city school buses( which is where i work) and they all have said that it sounds to them like its gm's fault that my cars engine is no good now, especially since they have a tsb on this very problem because that admits that they know that they have a problem. gm informed me that if i had the car fixed and saved the receipt , if this was ever recalled that i could possibly get my money back.i do not have the money to get my car fixed, again because i am a single mother raising 4 children on a school bus drivers pay. i have been told by a few mechanics that work at pontiac dealerships that these cars with this problem come in thier shops daily. i believe that pontiac is responsible for my cars engine going bad and i think that they should be responsible for fixing it.my car has not been running for approximately 6 months ,which means i have had no means of transportation for my children and i for that long of a time. | |||
| 04/03/2002 | |||
| Sometimes when attempting to start vehicle there's a hesitation. consumer indicates that if vehicle stalls on highway at 80 mph someone can be killed. please provide any further information.*aki | |||
| 03/02/2002 | 1 | ||
| While driving 35 mph the engine compartment caught on fire, the vehicle was totalled.*jb | |||
| 05/13/2002 | 1 | 03/01/2000 | |
| Engine call 518 381 6262 jim didonna repair garage. *ak | |||
| 08/03/2000 | 2 | ||
| Consumer was complaining that engine was making loud noises, dealer adjusted the tensioner belt.yd | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer experiencing various problems with vehicle such as strong fuel smell inside of vehicle, intake manifold leaking, engine running rough / flutters and dies while driving, strong fuel smell, bad relay in a/c, orange jelly-like substance in engine oil, abs light on when stepping on brake, consumer also stated that all lights were coming on, however dealer could not duplicate the problem. *ak *tt | |||
| 02/01/2000 | 07/01/1998 | ||
| One month after a purchased the car, it had to be taken back twice for passenger seat-determined it was not bolted correctly-at two years, motor had to be replaced-at 3 years the radiator had to be fixed and more metal was found in the oil filter-the alternator went at just over three years-brakes had to be replaced every year-cruise control works randomly since the beginning (reported to delaer; supposedly no errors were found), car hesitates and spits & sputters when idling, etc. etc. one big lemon! | |||
| 12/31/2001 | 0 | ||
| While driving at any mph when engine will stall without a prior warning. consumer has to control vehicle out of the road. please provide more information.*ak | |||
| During normal operation of vehicle engine will stall intermittently while traveling at any speed. dealership has examined vehicle several times, and could not locate a cause for this problem. please provide any additional information / attachments.*ak | |||
| 08/03/2000 | 2 | ||
| Consumer was complaining that engine was making loud noises, dealer adjusted the tensioner belt.yd | |||
| 02/01/2001 | 1 | 08/01/1998 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 04/15/1999 | |||
| Experiencing ongoing problem with brakes not stopping vehicle properly. has to apply harder to get vehicle to stop. vehicle been in dealer shop on several occasions for repairs, and problem still reoccurring. also, on two occasions vehicle experienced an engine shutdown. dealer notified, and problem still reoccurring. feel free to provide any further details on this matter. *ak | |||
| 12/15/2000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle stalls in second gear. *slc | |||
| 11/19/1999 | 3 | 05/01/1998 | |
| Engine sluggish, car misfires, rough idle. initially (10/20/99) dealer said it was gas cap-replaced, 2nd time (07/10/00) replaced #2 spark plug & boot - ck engine light on code stored was po300 carbon tracking on side of plug; third time last wk (have not drove) taking to dealer this wk. | |||
| 05/13/1999 | 2 | 10/01/1998 | |
| While driving at 65mph on freeway vehicle stalled. finally restarted . took it to dealership. mechanic replaced pcm. drove from florida to california, made a stop in arizona due to brake rotors warping. replaced and adjusted rotors and brakes. while driving in california, vehicle stalled again. failed to restart after being parked. battery replaced after being towed to dealership. key refused to be released from ignition. air conditioner motor fan replaced. shifter cable was replaced. right turn signal lamp replaced. oil light comes on before the 3000 mile scheduled oil change, dealer failed to set computer button, consumer feels this might have had to do with vehicle stalling and not starting. *slc | |||
| 05/06/2000 | |||
| On going problem with engine popping noise and hesitating; vehicle been in dealer shop on two occasion and condition still reoccurring. feel free to provide any further details: | |||
| 06/01/1999 | |||
| Upon stopping, occasionally on restart car hesitates and the dash gauges go haywire. this happens about every 3,000 miles, however supposedly fixed at 32,000 miles, reoccured at 39,200 miles. dealership refused service even within warranty period. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Possible engine malfunctioning caused vehicle to stall. yh | |||
| While traveling at any speed vehicle hesitates. dealer has been notified. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| 07/28/1999 | 25 | ||
| Ongoing / intermittent problem with engine stalling while traveling at speed of 20 - 75 mph. vehicle be in/out of dealer shop on several occasions, and informed consumer that they could not duplicate the problem. *ak *ml | |||
| Engine hesitates and stalls without warning. this has been happening since vehicle's purchase. dealer has seen vehicle, and replaced the fuel pump. but, problem still exists. *ak | |||
| 01/10/2000 | 06/01/1999 | ||
| Engine makes a knocking or ticking noise when idling in park. *ak | |||
| 05/19/1999 | |||
| Was traveling 50mph when engine rpms went high (in red). vehicle was shaking. turned vehicle off. speedometer went passed 100mph when traveling 50mph only. vehicle failed to start right away after being turned off for awhile. *ak | |||
| 06/06/1999 | 8 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Car started stalling at 8000. it has been towed in 8 times, stalling under every and all speeds, and conditions. | |||
| 10/06/1998 | 5 | 05/20/1998 | |
| Vehicle stalls continually causing extremely dangerous driving situations due to loss of power and control, unable to determine cause. | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 3 | 05/20/1998 | |
| Intermittent stalling due to engine failure. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 06/14/2005 | 5 | 11/02/1999 | |
| Dt: the problem began on 6/14/05 when all lights came on and all guages went to zero, the power door locks and windows failed as well. the vehicle had no brakes, it coasted to a stop, and shut down, owner was locked in vehicle. the alternator and belt were replaced, owner got in back seat because air bag light came on. tow truck driver tried to restart the vehicle but it had a completely dead battery. owner was able to get out finally when they were trying to restart the battery. she grabbed the handle and was able to get out. vehicle was towed to an impound lot, and the alternator was changed at tow place by a mechanic. it was 90 + degrees outside and no fresh air was coming in the vehicle. *ak | |||
| 12/06/2003 | 10 | 11/05/2000 | |
| Coolant system- intake manifolds. dealer advised the intake manifold is leaking. vehicle has 90k miles (highway). dealer advised the coolant will mix with the engine oil causing a catastrophic failure. see many other complaint regarding the same replacement on 3.4 liter engines. previously have replaced both r/l hub bearings, alternator, starter, drivebelt, power steering pump and return line, and radio.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 15 | 10/12/2004 | |
| I own a 1999 grand am se. ever since i bought the car in oct '04 i have been having nothing but problems with it. this past june i had to replace the engine. leading up to that the car would die at least once a week. i would bring it to the dealer (more like tow it) and i would always be told nothing is wrong. then yet again it would die. after that the stalling began. i would be driving and the car would shut off. it would usually take up to 10 minutes to turn back on. once the dealer went well maybe its your lights, you leave them on. my response was how do i leave on automatic lights? i have had to replace my alternator 3 times and have had to replace my battery twice. it got to the point that once i shut off my car the only way to start it was by taking out the mail relay chip for 2 minutes than replacing it. than the car would start up. finally i was on the high way and out of no where you head a loud pop. there went the header, pistons, oil gasket. the engine blew. however it was never a effect of the oil. i was always checking it and getting it changed once ever other month (i commuted a lot). so i got a rebuilt engine put in and the problems went away... or so i thought. last night i was driving and all of a sudden my car started shaking. it went from a little to a great amount. the muffler is making an odd puff puff noise and the exhaust smells like windshield washer fluid (only was to describe it). i pulled it into my driveway and on went the trac off light and the service engine soon lights. thank you. also prior to the new engine my cds would no longer play. i would get the e20 error and the cds would spit out. another problem is my rear passenger windows have scratches up the middle of them. i can not figure out where the marks are coming from. *jb | |||
| 04/19/2002 | 75000 | 02/01/2001 | |
| There is a foul smell coming from the ac vent almost like ammonia. my alternator was replaced at 37000 miles, after having it checked by the dealership for low voltage. car shakes at 55 mph on highway after rotation, alignment, and aftermarket wheels. scratches on passenger window from rolling it up and down. *nlm | |||
| 09/01/1999 | |||
| While in ownership of my grand am i have experienced problems with the transmission, which has already been replaced once and i am still having the same problem plus now experiencing smoke from exhaust while driving, bottom line too many problems for a car thats not even two years old yet.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 10/22/1998 | 3 | ||
| Defective solenoid evaporated/emission canister broke, causing the fumes to enter and build into the fuel tank which already has been replaced once. dealr replaced solenoid 3 times. dealer cannot determine the cause of the problem. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 03/01/2007 | 60900 | 1 | 10/10/1998 |
| Tl*- the contact owns a 1999 pontiac grand am gt. the vehicle's current mileage was 61,000 miles and the failure mileage was 60,900. she took the vehicle to dealer for an oil change and inspection. the dealership informed her that the vehicle was leaking antifreeze and oil, and the intake gasket needed to be replaced. she found many complaints on nhtsa website for this same problem for the engine and engine coolant: exhaust system: manifold/header/tail pipe. the dealership informed her that this will cost her $1,100. she would be contacted by the gm manufacturer. there was no indication of this problem, and was surprised when the service department informed her of the oil and coolant leak.*ak updated 05/21/07 *tr | |||
| 06/10/2003 | 80000 | 2 | |
| Intake gasket on 1999 pontiac grand am failed for the thrid time. the second time i almost had engine damage. the car overheated and warped the heads, but was not enough to be replaced.*ak | |||
| 08/31/2002 | 5 | ||
| Where to start, .bought 1999 grand am gt in august of 2002 and ithas been downhill ever since. replaced the alternator twice, have experienced the same intake manifold gasket problem, which was replaced, but still led to the demise of my engine, causing camshaft to snap in half. thought the trouble was over with the rebuilt engine that was put in, but that was not the case. the window regulator broke in the middle of a snowstorm ,causing me to drive with no driverside window. with the new regulator i assumed that the window would stop squeaking, which did not. i assumed the scratches on windows were just from me-sand or some other abrasive material in the window tracks--after reviewing other complaints i discovered i was not the only one with this problem. have experienced various issues with the no trac/abs lights, replaced the waterpump, done brakes 4 times in 4 years, front headlights are milky and make it hard to see at night. have replaced the starter 4 times in just the past 2 years. needless to say after reading all complaints i feel much better knowing that it is not just me, or my car, but all pontiacs. bought the car for $10000, have put over $5000 worth of work into it. will never buy another pontiac. *ak | |||
| 12/15/2005 | 100000 | 1 | 08/17/1999 |
| After about 100,000 miles, i was told the intake manifold gasket on my pontiac gm 1999 grand am needed to be replaced (coolant was leaking and after investigation i saw that the dexcool coolant was to blame for wearing of this intake manifold gasket). of course, my vehicle is not under warranty, and gm will not cover it. if i didn't pay (or have ) the $1000 to fix this, i was probably going to ruin my engine. so, i needed to save up, and i am afraid that when i take my car in tomorrow for repairs, they will tell me the engine will have problems. there are many people complaining about this issues with the delco intake manifold gasket. this was the first vehicle i purchased as new, and even though i work for the american auto industry, this is deterring me from buying from gm again. i would appreciate them taking responsibility for a defect that should not have happened. *nm | |||
| 04/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| Coolant light began to come on increasingly often so i had it checked out at the garage where i work. i was told the lower intake gasket was leaking and if it didn't get fixed water and antifreeze would get into my oil. this car only has 76,xxx miles on it. i know of two other people that own these cars and they have the same problem i do. this is not safe if the engine freezes up.*ak | |||
| 01/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Complaint regarding manifold gasket on vehicle. *mr the consumer noticed that the low coolant indicator had come on. the coolant was down a quart of fuel. the consumer requested reimbursement for the repairs. *sc *jb | |||
| 05/05/2004 | 38000 | 1 | |
| Failure of lower intake manifold causing coolent and oil to mix in engine. *ak | |||
| 12/15/2003 | 76000 | 1 | 06/15/1999 |
| Low coolant light would come on for a few seconds then shut off. made sure coolant was full, still kept happening. stared overheating and no heat. mechanic looked said there was air in the cooling line so he flushed and refilled, could not see any leaks. same thing happened again with in a week. by this time my check engine light came on. went back to mechanic and he then did a number of tests and found that it was the intake manifold gasket leaking. after paying $700.00 to have that fixed got the car back and engine light was still on and using allot of fuel. so took it back again and after extensive testing found that it was my piston rings were bad on the 3rd cylinder and that it would be cheaper to replace the engine than fix the problem. with so many cars with the same problem (not just a few, most of them) i can't believe that pontiac will not back up their products. pontiac has turned out to be a big disappointment.*ak | |||
| 03/02/2004 | 4 | 05/08/1998 | |
| I have a 1999 pontiac grand am. it has been in the shop at least every three months. the brakes have been replaced 3 times and the rotors twice. i take the car to an independent mechanic due to the dealer always saying nothing was wrong. the water pump went out, the manifold gasket cracked, the low track light has gone on since the day i bought it every time i turn left or right. the windows scratch and have been replaced once and scratched again about 2 months later, the dealer said it was the tinter that ruined them so i paid. i cant do that again so they remain scratched. i looked at a website mycarstats.com and there were 526 complaints and every single one had the same problems. i work with 5 other people that own grand ams and we've all had the same trouble. something has to be done, why do we have to be stuck with 1000s of dollars in car repairs and the manufacture not assume responsibility. i've had problems since i purchased the car brand new so there are several incident dates. thank you. *ak | |||
| 03/16/2003 | 2 | ||
| At 30000 miles intake gasket was leaking dealer repaired under warranty at 60000 gasket leaking again, dealer and pontiac refused to cover under warranty. *ak | |||
| 62000 | 1 | ||
| The intake manifold gasket failed and caused the vehicle to overheat. *nm *nm | |||
| 12/05/2003 | 59000 | 1 | |
| While having tires rotated mechanic noticed that vehicle was leaking coolant. the coolant leak was caused by a defective intake manifold gasket, per the mechanic. the gasket needed to be replaced. *ak the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc while having tires rotated mechanic noticed that vehicle was leaking coolant. the coolant leak was caused by a defective intake manifold gasket. vehicle was brought to dealer and repaired at the cost of $220.63. *mr the consumer requested reimbursement for repairs. *sc | |||
| 10/05/2003 | 1 | 11/03/2001 | |
| Low coolant light comes on and off. had garage add dex coolant twice now in one week time. garage figures intake manifold gasket is leaking and have seen on a lot of 3.4 engines. please provide further information. *la | |||
| 11/06/2003 | 1 | 11/06/1999 | |
| The intake manifold gasket failed due to engineering flaw, i understand gmc is aware and have made a new and improved design for the part . the cost of this repair is $500.00. *ak | |||
| 07/07/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states that the manifold gasket was leaking coolant, which in turn caused the engine to overheat. currently, engine has shutdown completely and needs to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 07/01/2003 | 9 | ||
| Have replaced the entire intake manifold on this car three times. 1999 grand am, purchased new, has less than 60,000 miles on it. in addition, have replaced power steering twice and brakes numerous times. replaced alternator, serpentine belt, battery, starter on ignition, molding due to leaks, wiring on dash, air conditioning resistors/circuits, and headlights/taillights.*ak | |||
| 06/20/2003 | 89000 | 1 | |
| While driving the coolant light began to flash. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that the intake manifold needed to be replaced. two days later the alternator failed. *ak *cb *nlm | |||
| 06/05/2003 | 55000 | 1 | 11/22/2002 |
| My intake manifold gasket is on its way out, at 55000 miles! i know i'm not the only one with this problem...*ak | |||
| 02/19/2003 | |||
| My wife's 99 grand am (pontiac) has a problem with a failure of the intake manifold gasket. this seems to be a chronic problem with gm engines, and will cost over $800 to repair. | |||